There is heaven above and Suzhou and Hangzhou below. I actually like Suzhou more than Hangzhou. The poetic Suzhou gardens and the melodious Suzhou-style tunes are all fascinating.
When talking about Suzhou, most people will think of Hanshan Temple, "Hanshan Temple outside Gusu City, the midnight bell rings to the passenger ship", and the Humble Administrator's Garden, one of the four major gardens in China. However, Suzhou has its own unique features. Street, tourists feel very comfortable after coming here, and they don’t feel tired after shopping all day. This street is Suzhou Pingjiang Road.
Pingjiang Road is a historical old street in Suzhou. It is a small road along the river, and its river is called Pingjiang River. Pingjiang Road Historic District is the most complete preserved area of ??the ancient city of Suzhou so far, and can be called the epitome of the ancient city. In fact, Pingjiang Road is not long, with a total length of just over 1,600 meters, but the river passes through it, from Yuan Bridge at the south end to Huayang Bridge at the north end. There are 11 bridges crossing it from east to west in the middle. Alleys together form the Pingjiang Historical District.
As early as the Southern Song Dynasty's Suzhou map "Pingjiang Map", Pingjiang Road was clearly identifiable as the main road in the eastern half of Suzhou at that time. For more than 800 years, not only the river shape and street system of Pingjiang Road have basically remained the same as before, but the water town pattern of "parallel waterways and adjacent rivers and streets" has also been clearly preserved. Pingjiang Road is the most well-preserved ancient street in Suzhou. It is separated from Guanqian Street by an alley, but its quiet and simple life atmosphere is completely different from the hustle and bustle just a few feet away.
Walking on Pingjiang Road, there is no noisy commercial atmosphere or all kinds of hawking sounds, but occasionally you can listen to a boatman singing a Ping tune, or a Suzhou Pingtan song is played in a teahouse, which is extremely pleasant.
The buildings on both sides look obscure, but if you look carefully, you can find exceptionally exquisite carved doorways. These old houses hide food, bars and history, but they are not ostentatious at all.
The legendary figure on Pingjiang Road is Hong Jun. Hong Jun was the top scholar in high school in the seventh year of Tongzhi's reign, and was gradually promoted from the Hanlin Academy to the left minister of the Ministry of War. The more romantic love story is that he married Sai Jinhua, a 28-year-old "famous prostitute of the Qinhuai River" while he was home for mourning. When she arrived at the Hong family, she became his third concubine.
There are many narrow streets and alleys on Pingjiang Road, including Xuanqiao Alley, Shilinsi Alley, Chuanfang Alley, Donghuaqiao Alley, Caohuxu Alley, Dingxiang Alley, Xiaoxinqiao Alley, Weidao Guanqian, Zhongzhangjia Alley, Daru Alley, Xiaojia Alley, Niujia Alley, etc., and each street may have a long story behind it. In the late Qing Dynasty and modern times, many celebrities lived in these narrow alleys and deep houses. Most of these houses looked inconspicuous from the outside, but when you walk inside, you will feel the charm of Suzhou gardens. "Rain Alley" written by the modern poet Dai Wangshu describes the Lilac Alley here: holding an oil-paper umbrella, wandering alone in the long, long and lonely rain alley, I hope to meet a girl who is as sad as a lilac.
Pingjiang Road retains a large number of old-fashioned houses, old houses with white walls and blue tiles. Many vines and vines grew out of the peeling parts of the wall, swaying in the wind and looking lively. The craftsmen in Jiangnan are exquisite and have brought garden aesthetics to the extreme.
The quiet river and the houses with white walls and black tiles, pavilions, small bridges, flowers and trees borrow scenery from each other, just like a long scroll painting. Walking here is full of ancient Jiangnan charm, and it is precisely because of this comfort that many tourists feel that Pingjiang Road is really comfortable to the core. Although the street is not long, it can make people linger all day long. There are also many Suzhou delicacies that you can taste on Pingjiang Road. Eat a private meal hidden in an old house, have afternoon tea in the courtyard, and listen to a Suzhou-style Pingtan. You will forget the time and only have this one. Beautiful and comfortable in my heart. The most worthwhile street in Suzhou has 11 bridges in only 1,600 meters and is known as the epitome of the ancient city!
This is the best preserved street in the ancient city of Suzhou, with a total length of only 1,600 meters. Visitors will not get tired of walking all day long!